Last year gamblers and operators alike experienced a significant change in how problem gambling support is provided across the U.S., as the National Council on Problem Gambling’s lost control ofthe 1-800-GAMBLER number.
Amid a dispute between the licensee NCPG and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), which has owned 1-800-GAMBLER since the 1980s, a New Jersey judge ruled in September that the NCPG must cease using the number or mark as of Sept. 29, leaving it in the exclusive control of the CCGNJ.
How did the issue affect major gaming operators? The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) heard from several about the issue at a recent meeting.
Who you gonna call?
After the court verdict, the NCPG returned to using its old national problem gambling helpline number, 1-800-522-4700. It means that there are now two national hotlines for gambling support, each billed by its owner as the sole national problem gambling helpline.
That, BetMGM Director of Responsible Gaming Richard Taylor told the MGC, is a problem.
“When I or my family needs help in an emergency situation, we know that in the United States, we can call 9-1-1 and that help will get to us,” he told commissioners. “When it comes to problem gambling, unfortunately, it isn’t like that. There are multiple numbers in multiple jurisdictions. We all need to work collaboratively to get to a place where we can have one number and one resource for everyone throughout the country. I think that’s the position of most operators.”
The 1-800-GAMBLER is easy to recall when in need of gambling support. Bally’s representative David Sousa argued that NCPG’s 1-800-522-4700 does not have that instant-recall factor, and noted that the NCPG wants to replace it with something branded and memorable.
“People understand brand, they understand loyalty, and that was a catchy number, right?” Sousa said of 1-800-GAMBLER. “Boom, it’s in your head that you can easily remember and regurgitate. It’s going to be a challenge only in the sense that it’s something new.”
Slew of state hotlines compound problems
Those are just the two national numbers too. In the wake of the switchover, state gaming regulators’ responses varied. Some insisted it was business as usual, while others stressed that in-state residents looking for gambling support should contact state-specific resources, including in some cases a state-specific phone number.
One pertinent example cited by MGC Chair Jordan Maynard is the state hotline mandated by Massachusetts state regulations to appear on all marketing materials. Other states told SBC Americas last year that even if not written into law, they prefer to focus on their own jurisdictional resources and support rather than a national number.
Caesars Director of Responsible Gaming Program Carolene Layugan told the MGC that keeping up with the times and ensuring that operators are displaying both the mandatory information and the best resources for players is tough.
“It’s not only changing a number in one area,” she noted. “We have a constellation of marketing materials that we place the number on and we’re constantly updating to ensure that we have the regulated and acceptable national helpline number. We operate in nearly 30 jurisdictions, so every time there’s an update and we have a universal responsible gaming tagline, that tagline has to be updated if a state is telling us there’s a new number.
“It is a challenge, but we get it done and our team members understand the importance of the regulatory requirements.”
Should RG be advancing beyond a phone number?
In some cases, having multiple helplines leads to operators needing to cram various phone numbers into their marketing. “Having to add numbers or whatnot proves to be a disservice to the consumer of the marketing because it shrinks the text,” said Fanatics Responsible Gaming Sr. Manager Anthony D’Angelo.
“But as soon as the announcement was made that 1-800-GAMBLER was no longer going to be supported by the NCPG, we added the NCPG’s number to all of our marketing communications in jurisdictions that were allowing 1-800-GAMBLER. So, you’ll see Fanatics Betting and Gaming ads will have 1-800-GAMBLER or 522-4700, and then all the other bespoke state numbers and websites that are required.”
Around the time of the New Jersey court case and the 1-800-GAMBLER handover, some observers commented by questioning just how relevant and crucial the national helpline is in today’s day and age, with states having their own resources and the proliferation of online betting having led to operators’ hosting their own network of problem gambling tools.
“1-800-GAMBLER is an iconic number but it is antiquated for younger gamblers,” acknowledged D’Angelo. “Young people, some of them don’t want to talk to people face-to-face or be on a phone call. 1-800-GAMBLER only offers the ability to talk to somebody over the phone.”
Both D’Angelo and BetMGM’s Taylor referenced work being done by the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), a coalition of several leading online gaming operators, to modernize the way that gaming companies support their players.
“Through ROGA and other organizations, we stand ready to help and do the work,” said Taylor. “But it’s going to take a huge effort and a lot of collaboration across a lot of stakeholders to get to that ultimate solution of having one resource across the country.”
